diminish

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

di·min·ish AW [diminish diminishes diminished diminishing] BrE [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] NAmE [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] verb
1. intransitive, transitive ~ (sth) to become or to make sth become smaller, weaker, etc.
Syn: ↑decrease
•The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.
•His influence has diminished with time.
•Our efforts were producing diminishing returns (= we achieved less although we spent more time or money).
2. transitive ~ sb/sth to make sb/sth seem less important than they really are
Syn: ↑belittle
•I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late Middle English: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’) and obsolete diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on Latin deminuere ‘lessen’ (in late Latin diminuere), from minuere ‘make small’).

Example Bank:
•Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.
•The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  belittle, decrease, lessen, fall